Post by Mickmack on Nov 1, 2007 18:06:43 GMT
Back door slammed in faces of weak counties
By Martin Breheny
Thursday November 01 2007
Weaker counties who were planning to force their way back into the All-Ireland football qualifiers next year have had the 'back door' slammed in their faces.
Division 4 teams will again be excluded from the qualifiers in 2008, and while some counties were hoping to bring proposals to change that before Special Congress, in January, the master fixtures list for next year rules that out.
There's also a nasty shock in store for the two teams who finish bottom of Division 3 next spring as they will be deemed to be Division 4 sides for the 2008 championship, and will be excluded from the qualifiers unless they reach their provincial finals.
Meanwhile, the top two in Division 4 will be allowed to compete in the qualifiers.
With two Division 3 teams heading for the Tommy Murphy Cup rather than the All-Ireland qualifiers, the group will be ultra-competitive, not least because it features some very high-profile teams, including:
- Connacht champions, Sligo.
- 1991-94 All-Ireland champions, Down.
- Fermanagh, who reached the All-Ireland semi-final via the qualifiers in 2004.
- Louth and Longford, who reached the last 12 in 2007 and 2006 respectively.
- Wexford, currently challenging strongly in Leinster.
- Leitrim, who this year took Division League champions, Donegal to extra-time.
- Limerick, who came close to making the Munster breakthrough a few years ago.
Two of that eight will be told they're surplus to qualifier requirements, replaced instead by the top two from Division 4, which features Antrim, Clare, Offaly, Carlow, Wicklow, London, Waterford, Kilkenny and Tipperary.
The link between the League and Championship continues to cause controversy amid a growing sense that it's unfair to make qualification for the qualifiers dependent on spring form.
Longford manager, Luke Dempsey said it was clear from the make-up of Division 3 that two very good teams would be debarred from the qualifiers unless they reached the provincial finals.
"I think that's wrong. In a seven-game league. It's very easy get into trouble . . .
"I don't think it's right that two teams who might get squeezed into the bottom by very narrow margins can't compete in the qualifiers.
"Many of the teams in Division 3 -- including Longford -- have enjoyed good runs in the qualifiers, so why should that change?
"Every team should get a second chance in the All-Ireland; and if they're not, it should be based on championship, not league form," he said.
Dempsey continues to agitate for three, rather than four league divisions, on the basis that it would create a fairer competition.
He also insists that, contrary to claims that the schedule is too crowded, there are plenty of available Sundays.
"Even with league groups of eleven, it means each team would have ten games, so why not start the league in January and scrap pre-season competitions?
"The weather in January has been good in recent years so there's no reason that we couldn't play league games right through the month," he said.
- Martin Breheny
By Martin Breheny
Thursday November 01 2007
Weaker counties who were planning to force their way back into the All-Ireland football qualifiers next year have had the 'back door' slammed in their faces.
Division 4 teams will again be excluded from the qualifiers in 2008, and while some counties were hoping to bring proposals to change that before Special Congress, in January, the master fixtures list for next year rules that out.
There's also a nasty shock in store for the two teams who finish bottom of Division 3 next spring as they will be deemed to be Division 4 sides for the 2008 championship, and will be excluded from the qualifiers unless they reach their provincial finals.
Meanwhile, the top two in Division 4 will be allowed to compete in the qualifiers.
With two Division 3 teams heading for the Tommy Murphy Cup rather than the All-Ireland qualifiers, the group will be ultra-competitive, not least because it features some very high-profile teams, including:
- Connacht champions, Sligo.
- 1991-94 All-Ireland champions, Down.
- Fermanagh, who reached the All-Ireland semi-final via the qualifiers in 2004.
- Louth and Longford, who reached the last 12 in 2007 and 2006 respectively.
- Wexford, currently challenging strongly in Leinster.
- Leitrim, who this year took Division League champions, Donegal to extra-time.
- Limerick, who came close to making the Munster breakthrough a few years ago.
Two of that eight will be told they're surplus to qualifier requirements, replaced instead by the top two from Division 4, which features Antrim, Clare, Offaly, Carlow, Wicklow, London, Waterford, Kilkenny and Tipperary.
The link between the League and Championship continues to cause controversy amid a growing sense that it's unfair to make qualification for the qualifiers dependent on spring form.
Longford manager, Luke Dempsey said it was clear from the make-up of Division 3 that two very good teams would be debarred from the qualifiers unless they reached the provincial finals.
"I think that's wrong. In a seven-game league. It's very easy get into trouble . . .
"I don't think it's right that two teams who might get squeezed into the bottom by very narrow margins can't compete in the qualifiers.
"Many of the teams in Division 3 -- including Longford -- have enjoyed good runs in the qualifiers, so why should that change?
"Every team should get a second chance in the All-Ireland; and if they're not, it should be based on championship, not league form," he said.
Dempsey continues to agitate for three, rather than four league divisions, on the basis that it would create a fairer competition.
He also insists that, contrary to claims that the schedule is too crowded, there are plenty of available Sundays.
"Even with league groups of eleven, it means each team would have ten games, so why not start the league in January and scrap pre-season competitions?
"The weather in January has been good in recent years so there's no reason that we couldn't play league games right through the month," he said.
- Martin Breheny